Courgettes Meal Ideas

Spiralized Raw Zucchini Salad with Pinenuts: 

Ingredients :

3 small  fresh courgettes
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of toasted pine nuts
Himalayan or rock sea salt to taste

Free from : Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Sugar.

Method :

Start by spiralizing your courgettes into ribbons or use a julienne cutter or peeler.

Put your courgette ribbons in a medium  mixing bowl and add your lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and toasted pine nuts.

Mix well and serve as a side salad or you could add some smoked salmon and cherry tomatoes to make it a complete meal .

Stuffed Zucchini with Tuna Fillets and Anchovies :

Ingredients :

8 medium courgettes
1 tin of tuna fillets ( usually around 150 grams )
4 anchovies fillets  in olive oil.
2 large white  onions 
1 tbsp of coconut oil or olive oil
12 green olives in brine
2 eggs
2 tbsp salted capers
3 -4 tbsp pinenuts
50 grams soft millet flakes 

Free from : Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Sugar.

Method : 

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

•  Blanch courgettes for 5-6 minutes or until "al dente".  

•  Then halve 8 of the medium courgettes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and soft center flesh with a spoon to produce a set of shallow shells to hold the stuffing.
  
  
• In a non stick pan pour the coconut oil or olive oil and saute the onions until they become golden, add the chopped anchovies fillets and olives and let it combine for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette  meat into the pan and let it cook for a further 5 minutes then set aside. 

• Blend tuna, pinenuts, eggs, capers and millet flakes and add to the anchovies mixture . 

• Fill the courgettes with the stuffing ,making sure you leave some space at the sides otherwise it will overflow , and let it cook in the oven for about 25 minutes with a fan and grill setting .

Click Here to find out more about the health benefits of Courgettes.

The Health Benefits of Courgettes

Courgettes or Zucchini are probably one of the most rewarding vegetables, if you have an allotment or garden they grow so easily and need very little maintenance.

My courgettes are blooming at the moment and I love experimenting new recipes and new ways of using this wonderful and versatile vegetable which is formerly an actual fruit.

Here are some of the great health benefits of courgettes:

• Excellent source of Vitamin C, especially when used raw, which is an essential water soluble nutrient  protecting all the body cells from free radical damage. A whole cup of sliced courgettes contains 19.2  milligrams of Vitamin C which equals to 32% of  your daily recommended intake. Combined with the  juice of a small lemon you will get over 50% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.

• Great source of Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are classed as two of the most powerful antioxidants  to promote healthy eyesight. They acts as a filter to the eye protecting it from harmful light rays.      The American Optometric Association notes that a daily intake of 6 milligrams can potentially reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. A cup of chopped courgettes provides 2.4 milligrams of  lutein and zeaxanthin therefore proving nearly half of the recommended daily intake .

• Good source of Dietary fiber which are essential to keep a healthy gut due to their cleansing effect keep cholesterol levels at bay, optimize toxins and hormones by products excretion form the body. A whole cup contains 1.2 grams of fiber which gives you 5% of you recommended daily intake.

References :

• American Optometric Association

• Nutritional data (Courgettes)

• Nutritional data (Lemons) 

Living with Lipedema

Hello everyone,

I thought I would share my experience living with Lipedema . I  would like to make people more aware of this condition as many women do not realize they have it until it's too late or they have been told to loose weight and exercise more.


These are some pictures starting from stage 1 progressing into stage 3 Lipedema  :


 


I have always being conscious of my body since a teenager and I  noticed my legs were bigger than average although my weight was pretty good.

It wasn't until I started  taking the pill when I was 15 years old and changing   from one to another as none of them seemed to suit my body .
I played basketball for about 5 years  when I was 8 years old and I was normally active then , going to  gyms and swimming .
However my body  still got bigger , swollen , inflamed and the weight started to increase  . I have tried all the possible diets out there including low fat , low calories and although the weight was decreasing my  legs were still the same size and very swollen .

After exhausting sessions at the gym ( 5-6 times per week ) , hours spent running , counting calories , worrying about every single food that I   put into my mouth I finally discovered in 2010 something was actually wrong with my body:Lipedema .


I found a great physiotherapist in St.James Hospital in Dublin who pointed me in the right direction for information and possible treatments .
It was all new to me and I didn't really want to think about it too much as I would only get more depressed as I didn't know where to start  . 

Since then I have learned so much in terms of ways to manage the condition , how to nourish  myself and what kind of exercise is best for me .

I have been in contact with many specialist  from the medical profession in the area and all they could suggest was liposuction , bandaging, stocking  and the use of a pressotherapy machine every day .
I decided I wanted to find another solution myself  considering my background in Nutrition , so I decided to get  some support from two specialists in Functional Medicine.

It  was the best decision I have ever made as for the first time in years my fat loss in the leg area is  greatly reduced and I feel more confident and positive in the battle with Lipedema now than I was ever before . My total weight loss is now 8.5 kg over a 5 month period .

Here are some  of my recommendations to you :

• Stop counting calories and try to eat as "clean" as possible . 

• Try to cut  down on  carbohydrates ( fruit , pasta , bread , grains, biscuits and processed foods  )  but do it gradually as the body needs to adjust to its new regime . 

• Try to have at least 5 portions of vegetables per day especially green leafy vegetables as they are rich in magnesium which is a key mineral involved in energy production and regulation of metabolism . 

• Drink  at least 2.5 litres of unfluoridated water  per day . Fluoride is a really pro-inflammatory substance and can worsen our symptoms .   Clean water  can also be beneficial to excrete toxins from the body .

•  Eat more FAT , coming from good sources such as Avocado , coconut oil , olive oil , nuts and seeds and don't be afraid to use butter ! We need fat to build healthy cell membranes and improve cell signalling so that our hormones can function optimally  . 

•  Focus on good quality proteins coming from grass fed beef and free range , organic chickens, good quality fish  but also include good plant proteins from nuts and seeds.

If you need more information please feel free to contact me on my email : virginianutritionaltherapy@gmail.com